Women hold just 1 in 5 blue collar jobs, wage gap and career barriers persist: Study

Following another survey, Indeed estimates that India’s blue-collar sector is expected to see more than 2 million job seekers in 2025.

Women in India’s blue-collar workforce hold just one in five jobs, according to the latest survey by Indeed, a job matching and hiring platform. Despite increasing hiring intent, challenges ranging from wage disparities to poor sanitation continue to hold women back.

According to the survey, while 73% of the surveyed employers said they hired women for blue-collar roles in 2024, female participation remained stagnant at 20% across the country.

The study covered 2,673 blue-collar women workers and 1,262 employers across 14 industries, including automobile, BFSI, e-commerce, travel & hospitality, FMCG, and manufacturing. The cities surveyed included Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

Industries such as retail (32%), healthcare and pharmaceuticals (32%), construction and real estate (30%), and travel and hospitality (28%) showed increase female representation. However, telecommunications, BFSI, and IT/ITeS lagged behind, with female participation below 10%.

During the survey, 78% of employers revealed plans to hire more women in blue-collar roles in 2025, an encouraging 5% increase in hiring intent compared to the 73% in 2024. Industries like retail (94%), healthcare and pharma (93%), and e-commerce (93%) showed the strongest demand.

As per the survey, while more women are seeking blue-collar jobs primarily for financial independence (70%), workplace realities remain harsh. It identified three major challenges that continue to push women to the margins. These were rigid work schedules, wage inequality and lack of upskilling opportunities.

More than half of the surveyed women cited a lack of flexible shifts as a barrier. Several blue-collar jobs often demanded strict shift timings, making it difficult for women to balance work and personal responsibilities.